Parents' reasons and motivations for supporting their child's music training

Musical talent development in a child is a prolonged process requiring adult assistance of both large investments of time and financial resources. To understand the motivations of parents who support their children's music training, often initiating and sustaining it for a substantial period of time, a survey was sent to four music organizations on the east and west coasts. Parents whose children were attending precollege music programs (N=203) responded to 14 statements regarding reasons for supporting their child's music lessons. A major finding is that these parents reported more intrinsic than extrinsic reasons and expectations relating to the benefits of music training. Moreover, these parents believe that music training nurtures many desirable characteristics in their children including discipline, diligence, academic performance, and intelligence. The results are discussed in the context of cultural values and beliefs underlying the development of a specific talent.